Interim manager John McGreal’s first game in charge of the Blues ended in a dismal 2-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic. The Addicks went in front on 26 via Jayden Stockley before Alex Gilbey sealed the points late on, however, but for goalkeeping heroics from Christian Walton the margin of defeat might have been more comfortable.
George Edmundson, Kane Vincent-Young, Lee Evans, Sone Aluko and Kyle Edwards returned to the Town side.
Edmundson, who missed out at the weekend with an achilles problem, joined Toto Nsiala at centre-half with Vincent-Young at right-back, Janoi Donacien moving to left-back for the first time for the Blues and Walton in goal.
In midfield, Evans rejoined skipper Sam Morsy in the centre of midfield with Aluko on the right and Edwards on the left and Scott Fraser the number 10 behind former Charlton striker Macauley Bonne.
From the side which drew 0-0 with Barrow on Saturday, Conor Chaplin, Idris El Mizouni and Cameron Burgess were on the bench, while Bailey Clements and Kayden Jackson were left out of the 18.
Bersant Celina was again absent having suffered a knock in training at the end of last week, while young midfielder Cameron Humphreys kept his place on the bench having impressed as a sub on Saturday.
For Charlton, skipper Jason Pearce returned to their back three after a knee problem, while keeper Craig MacGillivray also came into the side for former Blues loanee Stephen Henderson, who started Friday’s 2-0 FA Cup victory at Gateshead.
Among those watching from the stands was former Waterford manager and one-time QPR midfielder Marc Bircham, who has been linked with the Blues’ management vacancy having worked as assistant boss at Arizona United five years ago, the club now known as Phoenix Rising, the club in which Town’s Three Lions are co-owners.
It’s believed he was at the game under his own steam rather than having been invited by the Blues.
Town, in their white and black away kit, started strongly with Aluko missing his kick when well placed after a ball from the left came in in the third minute.
The Addicks’ first chance came a minute later when one-time Blues target Conor Washington tried to catch Walton off his line but sent the ball into the 3,000-plus Town fans behind the goal.
On six, applause rippled around the ground in tribute to six-year-old Birmingham supporter Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, who was killed by his father and step-mother, with a number of players joining in ahead of a throw-in.
Keeper Walton confidently caught balls into the box from a corner and a free-kick and looked to throw out as quickly as he could - something he hadn’t done in previous games - but with Aluko and then Bonne unable to profit from it.
After Town’s bright start, Charlton had begun to gain the upper hand and on the quarter hour Ben Purrington’s free-kick from the left flashed across the Blues box but with Gilbey unable to get a touch.
In the 24th minute, Diallang Jaiyesimi headed over the bar at the far post from Purrington’s cross.
And a minute later, the Addicks went in front. Washington burst into the box on the left - with Town arms raised for offside -cut in and hit a shot which Walton did well to save. However, the loose ball fell to Stockley, who slammed home.
Town protests continued and they looked to have a case but neither referee Christopher Sarginson nor his linesman showed any interest.
Donacien was shown the first yellow card of the game in the 29th minute for a foul on Gilbey.
Having gone behind, the Blues found themselves somewhat under the cosh with the home side visibly more confident having gone in front.
On the half hour, Stockley shot across the face of goal, Walton saved and the loose ball ran agonisingly behind Washington before being cleared.
Five minutes later, Elliot Lee sent Washington way but the Northern Ireland international found Nsiala in his way.
Town were showing little threat going forward. Aluko took too heavy a touch when breaking away down the right and the ball was put out for a throw.
On 41 Evans headed over from the Blues’ first corner of the game, taken by Aluko on the right, when he will feel he might have done better.
As the break approached Town began to get on top and in the final scheduled minute Fraser played a superb ball in from the left but which was just too far in front of Bonne for the striker to get in a shot.
Moments later, an Evans shot from the edge of the box was deflected out for a corner from which Nsiala nodded wide at the back post.
Soon after, the whistle confirmed the end of a half in which the Blues had started strongly before Charlton got on top and scored their goal with Town looking to have a strong case that it was offside.
The Addicks might have added to their lead having been well on top following the goal but the Blues came back into it in the minutes before the break.
Charlton were first to go close in the second half, Washington took too long over his cross and Donacien blocked but the ball looped into the area to Purrington at the back post but Walton did superbly to save his header at point-blank.
Town’s start to the second half was summed up when Edwards stopped his 55th-minute ran as Fraser played it into the space he had been breaking towards.
Charlton continued to press at the other end and went close on 58 when Jaiyesimi crossed from the right to the far post from where Purrington nodded back across to Lee, who headed over from close range when he will feel he should have done better.
Town’s first chance of the half came on the hour when a free-kick from deep on the left reached Nsiala at the far post but the centre-half’s header bounced harmlessly wide.
Fraser saw a shot blocked on the edge of the box following a rare well-constructed Town move in the 62nd minute.
The former MK Dons man was swapped for ex-Charlton striker Joe Pigott, who joined Bonne up front.
Soon after the change, Walton did well to bat away Lee’s shot from the edge of the area, then on 67 the keeper saved from Sean Clare.
Two minutes later, Aluko reacted angrily to a Pearce challenge on halfway, the Charlton man receiving a yellow card… As the Blues prepared to take the free-kick, the Nigerian international was switched for Chaplin and Charlton replaced Jaiyesimi with Jonathan Leko.
Charlton continued to look the more likely scorers of the second goal and on 71 Gilbey somehow shook off a number of Town defenders before his shot was blocked by Nsiala.
In the 79th minute, after Evans had been dispossessed in a promising area on the edge of the Charlton box, the Addicks broke quickly and Washington took the ball into the area on the left before hitting a shot which Walton, the Blues’ man of the match, saved brilliantly with his left foot.
Walton made another stop, this time diving away to his left to paw Washington’s hook goalwards wide following a free-kick on the left.
Humphreys was handed his league debut on 81, replacing Edwards on the left of midfield. Moments later, Purrington shot over for the Addicks, who really should have had the game well won.
Leko was next to force Walton into a save, cutting in from the right and stabbing a shot which the keeper did well to block.
A second Charlton goal had long been coming and it finally came in two minutes from the end. Gilbey broke into the area on the left before beating Walton.
The referee’s whistle confirmed that the three points would go to the home side, who had been the better team from the early minutes onwards.
A thoroughly poor night from Town who deserved to take nothing from the match and Charlton should have sealed their victory well before the 88th minute, only poor finishing and Walton’s heroics in goal having prevented them from doing so.
The Blues started the game in a positive manner but once the home side, backed by a large and noisy crowd, got on top and had gone in front, Town never looked like taking anything from the match.
The visitors looked a shapless side thoroughly lacking in confidence and direction after recent results - they are now won one in six in all competitions - and former manager Paul Cook’s sacking at the weekend.
At the whistle, the Blues support made their feelings clear with Nsiala similarly making his thoughts known to a fan before being joined by Walton, who then was physically confronted by another supporter, who was dragged away by stewards as the Town defender was ushered away from the area.
Interim manager McGreal has a lot of work on his hands ahead of Saturday’s trip to fourth-placed Wigan Athletic.
Charlton: MacGillivray, Clare, Pearce (c), Famewo, Jaiyesimi, Gilbey, Dobson, Lee, Purrington, Stockley, Washington. Unused: Henderson, Elerewe, Souaré, Watson, Kirk, Leko, Davison.
Town: Walton, Vincent-Young, Nsiala, Edmundson, Donacien, Evans, Morsy (c), Aluko, Fraser (Pigott 64), Edwards, Bonne. Unused: Hladky, Burgess, Penney, El Mizouni, Humphreys, Chaplin. Referee: Christopher Sarginson (Staffordshire). Att: 26,376 (Town: 3,159).